Walter Francis Elling
On View | September 5 - November 25, 2026.
Walter Francis Elling’s latest series is titled Redefining Democracy in Red, White, Black, and Blue. With homage to Jasper Johns, Elling uses actual flags as canvases to provoke a response to issues of race and queer liberation. Spray-painted messages interweave with a color-altered geometric landscape of the flags themselves, transforming the geometry of the stars and stripes into visual symbols that reimagine patriotism.
Walter Francis Elling is an American artist who works in a variety of mediums, including assemblage, photomontage, and painting. His early work in ceramics grew out of a fascination with organic forms, using both thrown and hand-built techniques, and developed into works with political, racial, and queer commentary.
His recent work is a commentary on cultural norms and political justice. Using spray paint, found objects, and photo-montage, Elling references religious iconography, political messaging, and graffiti to create a tension between the real and the ideal.
Walter Francis, originally from Illinois, now makes Philadelphia his home. He has served as artist-in-residence and summer school teacher at Pendle Hill, and has assistant taught at the Fleisher Art Memorial and the Wayne Art Center. His work has been shown at juried shows at the Mulvane Art Center in Topeka, KS, and at the William Way Center in Philadelphia, and is part of the permanent collection of the Sabatini Gallery of the Topeka and Shawnee County Library.